System and method for closed subscriber group identity allocation for radio access network sharing

Abstract

Systems and methods for closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) allocation for radio access network (RAN) sharing between different wireless telecommunication network providers can include a second CSG administration server receiving a unique first list of CSG IDs from a first CSG administration server, comparing the CSG IDs of the unique first list with a unique second list of CSG IDs associated with the second CSG administration server, and automatically adding to the unique second list ones of the CSG IDs from the unique first list that are absent from the unique second list. If a first one of the CSG IDs from the unique first list is already assigned in the unique second list, a new E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) is added for use with the first one of the CSG IDs and sent therewith to the first CSG administration server to be added to the unique first list.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) allocation for radio access network (RAN) sharing between different wireless telecommunication network providers, the system comprising:
 a second CSG administration server configured to: 
 receive a unique first list of CSG IDs from a first CSG administration server, 
 receive, from a user equipment (UE), a request for determining whether the UE is authorized to attach to a cell, wherein the cell is associated with a first radio access network, and 
 communicate a response to the request comprising an indication that the UE is authorized to connect or attach to the cell based on a CSG ID associated with the cell and the unique first list of CSG IDs, 
 wherein the second CSG administration server further comprises a unique second list of CSG IDs, and wherein the second CSG administration server is configured to identify whether any of the CSG IDs from the unique first list are already assigned in the unique second list, and 
 wherein if a first one of the CSG IDs from the unique first list are already assigned in the unique second list, the second CSG administration server is configured to add to the unique second list a new E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) to associate with the first one of the CSG IDs and then send the new ECGI along with the first one of the CSG IDs to the first CSG administration server. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second CSG administration server is configured to add CSG IDs from the unique first list that are absent from the unique second list. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first CSG administration server is associated with a first operator network and the second CSG administration server is associated with a second operator network. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second CSG administration server is configured to, upon initial set up of the second CSG administration server, search for one or more neighboring CSG administration servers. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein, upon determining that the first CSG administration server is one of the one or more neighboring CSG administration servers, the second CSG administration server is configured to automatically request the unique first list of CSG IDs from the first CSG administration server. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second CSG administration server is further configured to send instructions to the first CSG administration server to add the new ECGI along with the first one of the CSG IDs to the unique first list stored by the first CSG administration server. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second CSG administration server is configured to periodically send the unique first list to the first CSG administration server for a consistency check and wherein the second CSG administration server is configured to send an alarm to operators of the first CSG administration server or the second CSG administration server with any inconsistent CSG ID information found during the consistency check. 
     
     
       8. A method for closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) allocation for radio access network (RAN) sharing between different wireless telecommunication network providers, the method comprising:
 receiving with a second CSG administration server a unique first list of CSG IDs from a first CSG administration server; 
 comparing, via the second CSG administration server, at least some of the CSG IDs of the unique first list with a unique second list of CSG IDs associated with the second CSG administration server; 
 identifying any of the CSG IDs from the unique first list that are already assigned in the unique second list; and 
 in response to a first one of the CSG IDs from the unique first list are already assigned in the unique second list, adding a new E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) to use with the first one of the CSG IDs; and sending the new ECGI along with the first one of the CSG IDs to the first CSG administration server to be added to the unique first list. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first CSG administration server is associated with a first operator network and the second CSG administration server is associated with a second operator network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising searching, upon initial set up of the second CSG administration server, for one or more neighboring CSG administration servers. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising identifying the first CSG administration server as one of the one or more neighboring CSG administration servers; and, in response to the identifying, automatically requesting from the first CSG administration server the unique first list of the CSG IDs. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising periodically sending the unique second list to the first CSG administration server for a consistency check; and sending an alarm to operators of the first CSG administration server or the second CSG administration server with any inconsistent CSG ID information found during the consistency check. 
     
     
       13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) allocation for radio access network (RAN) sharing between different wireless telecommunication network providers that, when executed on one or more processors of one or more wireless telecommunication services, perform steps that include:
 receiving with a second CSG administration server a unique first list of CSG IDs from a first CSG administration server, wherein the first CSG administration server is associated with a first operator network and the second CSG administration server is associated with a second operator network; 
 comparing, via the second CSG administration server, at least some of the CSG IDs of the unique first list with a unique second list of CSG IDs associated with the second CSG administration server; 
 identifying any of the CSG IDs from the unique first list that are already assigned in the unique second list; and 
 in response to a first one of the CSG IDs from the unique first list are already assigned in the unique second list, adding a new E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) to use with the first one of the CSG IDs; and sending the new ECGI along with the first one of the CSG IDs to the first CSG administration server to be added to the unique first list. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 searching, upon initial set up of the second CSG administration server, for one or more neighboring CSG administration servers; 
 identifying the first CSG administration server as one of the one or more neighboring CSG administration servers; and, 
 in response to the identifying, automatically requesting from the first CSG administration server the unique first list of the CSG IDs. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 periodically sending the unique second list to the first CSG administration server for a consistency check; and 
 sending an alarm to operators of the first CSG administration server or the second CSG administration server with any inconsistent CSG ID information found during the consistency check.